When one door closes, another opens
by Ms. Chevious
Summary: Death City along with all of its citizens are slowly recovering from battle when Chrona and Kid find themselves drawn to one another. Will things turn out well for the couple? Or will it all end in heartbreak? Super fluffy, post-anime fic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: When one door closes, another opens

Rating: maybe K+?

Anime: Soul Eater

Pairing: Kid x Chrona

Disclaimer: I don't own the anime/ manga Soul Eater. All rights go to the creator, Atsushi Okubo.

A/N: Just an extremely fluffy story about my favorite Soul Eater pairing! =) It takes place after the anime. It'll be a lot longer than my other stories, so enjoy!

FYI: "means someone is saying something" & 'means that someone is thinking something'.

********

Chrona's eyes widened when she saw the Kishin's blood red barrier seemingly burst then fade into thin air as countless souls glittered towards the sky. The hand that she had been clutching onto Professor Stein's lab coat with loosened. A wave of relief washed over everyone as they all thought the same thing; 'It's all over…'

'Maka!' Chrona suddenly thought, worry evident on her face. She began to walk forward when a hand blocked her way.

"Chrona, you stay here." Dr. Stein instructed, "We'll go and bring them back."

"You're still in pretty bad shape ya know, now be a good girl and wait here with Shinigami-sama." Spirit said with a smile. She nodded in reply, her submissive nature restricting her from insisting on checking on her friends herself. She watched the Shibusen staff head towards the others, leaving only her and Shinigami-sama, who was obviously in bad shape as well.

"Neee~, Chrona-chan?" the Death god prompted in his usual silly voice once the others were well out of sight.

"Y-yes?" she asked shakily.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you about later."

"…Y-yes, sir." This only added onto her worries, what could he want with her? Before she could further ponder over the Death god's intentions, they had all returned. Even though most all of her friends were battered and bruised, she was just glad that they were all alive.

"Maka!" she said happily, slowly making her way towards her friend.

"Chrona!" Maka shouted as she ran to her friend, giving her a tight squeeze, only to get a groan of pain from the pink haired girl in reply.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chrona! Are you okay?"

"M-…mn,"

But their reunion was cut short when they suddenly heard a loud thud from behind them. It was Kid; he had collapsed and was clutching his chest. He grunted in pain as he slowly pulled his hand away from his shirt, only to gasp when he saw that his hand was stained crimson with his blood.

"Kid!"

"Kid-kun!"

"Let's get him to the infirmary, fast!"

Chrona's eyes widened with concern and fear as they all ran to the infirmary. They had all just made it back! She couldn't bear it if she lost someone important to her now…

********

A few hours later, Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, Black Star, Liz, Patty and Chrona were all sitting outside of the infirmary together. Too worried to chat, they all just stared either at the floor or into space. All but Chrona, who was hugging her knees to her chest rather tightly while burying her face on her knees. The air was tense until the sound of a phone ringing suddenly broke the silence. Liz then pulled out a small, pink hand-mirror from her pocket.

"Osu, osu, what's up? Are you all feeling better?" a cheery voice asked from the mirror.

"Yo, and yeah, we're all fine." Liz replied, managing a small smile.

"Oh, su~per! You all sure fought hard! Good wo~rk! So, that's why I'd like you all to go home and get plenty of rest. Oh, and don't worry about Kid, I'll be sure to bring him home once Stein's finished the operation." The Shinigami instructed. "Ara, and one more thing before you go… can I speak to Chrona-chan, please?" The brunette handed the mirror over to the other girl.

"Y-yes? …W-what is it, Shinigami-sama?"

"I'd like for you to come over to the Death Room so I can talk to you in private, Chrona-chan… And with that, bye, bye~!" he sang just before hanging up. Chrona gave Liz back her mirror and waved goodbye as she watched all of her friends head back to their homes.

Chrona was now at the door to the Death Room. She felt very uncomfortable as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She didn't quite know how to deal with being singled out…

'What could Shinigami-sama want with _me_?' she thought as she slowly made her way deeper and deeper into the Death Room.

"Osu, osu! Thanks for coming!" Shinigami-sama waved as she entered the room. She couldn't explain why, but Chrona suddenly felt as if a very dark storm cloud was hovering toward her.

********

A/N: Okay, so here's chapter one. I'm going to start off just posting up one or two chapters of this story and see the response I get. And if you guys like it then tell me & I'll post up the other chapters, but if you don't, then I guess I'll either try to improve it or focus on my other stories.

Rate and review, please! Or else I won't know whether or not I should put up more chapters! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

He felt as if his feet were going to give way beneath him. Just how long had he been running in this never-ending darkness? But he had to keep going; else the madness would swallow him. His whole body ached as he panted for breath, each step only intensifying the pain. Red began to seep into the corners of his vision as he quickened his pace.

'_**Neeee, Kid. We can make all the pain go away.'**_

'Silence! Be gone!'

'_**We can give you power. Power to never feel fear or pain again.'**_

'Shut up! Power like that…I don't need it!"

'_**All you have to do is accept it. Accept the madness within you, Kid!'**_

"I said; SHUT UP!" Kid yelled as he jolted from his bed into a sitting position. He was in a cold sweat and was gasping for breath.

'Just a nightmare…' he tried to assure himself.

"A-ano… um, a-are you alright?" he heard a frightened voice murmur. He whipped his head in the direction the voice came from. He nearly jumped out of is skin at what he saw. It was Chrona, sitting at his bedside with a look of great concern in her eyes. He looked down and suddenly noticed that he had been grasping her hand rather tightly.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he mumbled as he pulled his hand away, a blush on his face. "And, yes, I'm fine. It was only a nightmare."

"O-oh…I see." The pinkette said, "I-I have…n-nightmares…too sometimes."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments before, oddly enough, Chrona broke it.

"W-well…i-is there anything…I-I could d-do for you…m-mi' l-l-lord…?" the small girl finally managed to squeak out.

Needless to say, that this caught the young boy off guard. Had she just called him _mi' lord_? Well now he didn't know **what** in the name of Shinigami was going on…He began to turn his head back to her to question her strange formality, but suddenly found that he couldn't speak. For what he saw was not the usual Chrona clad in her amazingly old-fashioned and conservative black dress.

It was still Chrona, but she was wearing a beautiful and rather skimpy maid's uniform. It was dark blue in color and it had puffed sleeves tied with thin, white ribbons at the ends. The rest of the long sleeves fit her arms, then flowed away just above her hands like flower petals. There was a layer of lace underneath it along with an intricate design decorating the ends of the sleeves. The neck of the dress dipped rather low, but wasn't revealing, for it had a few layers of white frills emerging from the droop. Just below the bust, a white ribbon was tied around her waist that continued on to be a rounded apron with frills on its edges. Flowing perfectly from underneath the apron, were slightly puffed long layers of dark blue, each with more white lace highlighting their ends. As if all that wasn't enough, she had a matching blue ribbon with ruffles blooming out from the top and bottom of it tied around her neck, that met in the center tied in a bow, with a rose in the middle of it. She also wore a matching head band that was just like her choker, but had several roses on each side of her head, just above her ears, that were each adorned with more ruffles and bows.

All he could do was stare. She looked…stunning. Now, Kid had always found Chrona rather charming and cute and couldn't help but admit to himself that he was rather curious about her. He had figured it was his guilt; for judging and hurting her before he even knew anything about her. He wanted to make amends by becoming a friend to her and helping her adjust to her new life. However, he had been so occupied and indulged in all of Shibusen's recent battles and intrigue that he unintentionally forgot about her.

Well, …he certainly could see her _now._

"O-oh, my! A-are you alright, mi' lord?" the girl asked worriedly, "Your face is all red. …Do you have a fever?" she questionedas she placed a cool hand on his forehead.

"Huh? Uh…oh! Y-yes, …wait-!" Kid was stumbling over his words and could barely think straight "… I mean, no…! I-I'm fine!" he finally managed to choke out, while turning away from her, trying desperately to calm himself down as discreetly as possible. Once he believed to have collected himself enough, Kid turned back to the girl next to him.

"Chrona-san?" he asked, trying to get the young girl's attention on him and off of the floor.

"Y-yes, …m-m-m…"

"Um, excuse me for interrupting, but, please…don't call me that." Kid said with a streak of light pink painted on his cheeks. "Also, and I hope I'm not being too frank but, what are you doing here?"

'And why are you wearing something like _that?!_' he wanted to ask, but just couldn't bring himself to do it. Even though he would never admit to himself or anyone else that he rather enjoyed it…

"W-well, … you see, it's…" she sighed, "a long story."

********

_Flashback_

"_Osu, osu! Thanks for coming!" Shinigami-sama waved as she entered the room. She couldn't explain why, but Chrona suddenly felt as if a very dark storm cloud was hovering toward her._

"_As I said before, Chrona-chan, there's something that I'd like to discuss with you…" The Death god began, "and that's your re-admission into Shibusen!"_

_It took a few moments for the true meaning of what the Shinigami had said to sink in. Once it had, Chrona felt as if her heart was going to burst with happiness as her eyes began to sting. She had been so concerned with everyone else's well being, she hadn't even thought once of her own. She could stay! Even after all she had done, after everything that happened because of it… Even though she felt she didn't deserve it…she was being not only forgiven, but given a second chance. She didn't know how to deal with such a shock! She quieted down for a moment when she felt a large, soft hand on her head. _

"_There, there. It's okay." Shinigami-sama soothed, "If you don't mind, could I ask you for a small favor, though?"_

_The pink-haired girl could only manage a small shake of her head, saying 'no' she didn't mind. _

"_Grea~t! In that case, I'd like you to look after Kid for me." The Shinigami sang._

"_E-eeehh?" was all she could reply. That was by far the last thing she had expected him to say. She didn't know how to deal with so many surprises! Sure, Chrona could handle and take care of herself to an extent, but she certainly had never cared for someone else, especially not someone injured. She didn't quite know how to deal with sick people…_

"_B-but… I don't know…" _

"_How to deal with him?"_

"…_M-mn."_

"_That's okay! You two get along, right?" Shinigami-sama assumed with a wave of is hand, "Besides, I'm worried about his and your health. Since I need all the help I can get making repairs to Death City, I can't ask Liz, Patty, or any of the others to do it. I also need anyone with medical knowledge to help treat the sick and the wounded. Since the both of you have already been treated, all you need now is to get plenty of rest. Besides, I don't want you to continue to stay in the guest rooms here at Shibusen until the repairs are finished." _

"_W-why…is that?" the girl mumbled with a curious look on her face._

"_We~ll, Chrona-chan, along with most of the city, Shibusen is pretty unstable after Death City fought so bravely and heroically." The God of Death stated with pride. "Besides, I do need someone to look after him. I need to make sure that he doesn't leave the house no matter what until the repairs are complete." _

"_A-and… w-why is that?"_

"_Knowing Kid, he'll probably slow down the repairs wanting to make sure that the whole city is perfectly symmetrical, but I'm sure you can keep him entertained while we do damage control." _

"_B-but, I…" she began, "I don't know how to… d-deal with… __entertaining __someone…"_

"_Leave this one to me, Shinigami-sama!" Spirit said boldly, seemingly popping out of nowhere, giving a big thumbs-up._

"_Oh, ho~! Alright, Spirit-kun, I'll leave the rest to you!" Shinigami-sama sang giving a thumbs-up as he slowly disappeared from sight into the mirror._

_Chrona looked up at the tall, red haired man. Before she could say anything, Spirit had whipped his head almost all the way around to face her with bright stars in his eyes. Chrona flinched back a couple steps, obviously startled by his sudden change in demeanor. _

_You see Chrona hadn't been at Shibusen very long and when she was there her shyness kept her from meeting most people, which just so happen to include Spirit. So Chrona had no idea that Maka's father was a major pervert. All she knew was that this man was obviously a friend of Shinigami-sama's and was Maka's papa, so he that must make him a good person, right? So, that also meant that she should be able to trust him…right? She kept trying to reassure herself with that, but was finding it hard to deal with his strange stare._

"_Ne, Chrona-chan," Spirit crooned in a friendly voice with a smile._

"_Y-y-yes?" Chrona stammered, nervous._

"_I know the perfect way for you to entertain Kid."_

"_R-really?" the innocent girl asked, a tinkle of hope in her eyes._

"_Mmn, and you don't even have to do anything!" he said stepping towards her, "All you have to do is…"_

"Why, that lecherous…!" Kid bellowed, interrupting Chrona's story. He then took his hand and slammed it to his forehead as he slumped back down on his bed with a grunt.

'That Spirit…! I had heard from Maka that he was a pervert, but I never expected him to stoop so low!' Kid thought to himself with a scowl, 'As to be expected of Chichiue as well…he certainly has looked at this from all angles. …It's as if he wanted to make sure that neither of us could refuse…'

Before Kid could further ponder over his father's intentions, the sound of a small bell in the distance broke him from his thoughts.

"O-oh…the soup is done…" the young girl mumbled more to herself than him as she rose from her position at his bedside. She lightly dusted off her apron and skirt before turning and shuffling out of the room and into the hall. Kid watched her leave. Sighing to himself thinking that this was going to me a long, long day…

********

A/N: Chapter two is up! Man, I feel like Kid proof-reading this so much ^^' just hope I didn't miss anything. Chapter three will be up soon, I promise. It'll be really funny, so stay tuned! I will most likely update over the weekend if I'm not busy.

Oh, and before I forget, I didn't design Chrona's outfit. I simply described a really cute dress I saw in a picture. I think it was of Shia from Pita Ten…? I'm not sure…

Rate & review and I will be eternally happy. =D


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: FTW! XD

********

Kid sat upright in his bed, just thinking about everything that had happened recently. He glanced out the window and was taken aback; the sky was still crimson red. Had Ashura's madness not yet faded? Even now, he could still feel it…that unexplainable, terrifying pressure. He gripped his chest as his breathing became labored. He felt as if he was being crushed.

'I-it hurts! So much…!' Kid thought as he began to topple over in pain, 'I-I can't…breathe! S-someone…' His eyes were squeezed shut as he gritted his teeth and clutched at his chest.

"S-shinigami-kun!!" a voice shouted…it was Chrona.

She had returned to his room carrying a tray with soup and water on it, but quickly set it down and rushed to Kid's side. Panic-stricken, she got up on the bed with him, put one arm on his back for support and bent down trying to get eye-level with him. His breathing was strained and he was sweating slightly. He looked like he was in so much pain. Chrona felt so helpless…she wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do.

"Shinigami-kun!" Chrona said, obviously extremely worried, "Are you alright?!" She loosened her grip when his head slowly rose to meet her gaze.

"M-mmn, …I'm alright." He panted between breaths.

"Are you sure?" the lavender-haired girl asked, worry evident in her voice. Kid was impressed at how she wasn't stuttering and how focused she as looking at him.

"Y-yes, I'm sure." He stammered, because she had put a soft, gloved hand on his cheek.

…Wait a minute,…gloved?

When he further examined her hand, he realized that she was now wearing soft, white gloves that flared out in ruffles at the ends that was tied with thin, red laces with a small red rose in the center of the bow on its side. His vision then trailed down her arm, the first time he had seen it bare, on to the rest of her body so that he could notice that she had made a change in outfit.

Her new outfit didn't differ much from her maid uniform in the way that they were both very frilly, lacey and beautiful. This one however, was a waitress' and was a dark maroon in color. At least the last one reached her knees, though! This one didn't even fall that far down. Kid could feel his face grow warm at the sight, for in Chrona's haste and concern for the boy, she had failed to make sure her dress fell properly when she had sat on his bed, exposing a generous amount of her long, creamy legs that her usual conservative attire hid.

"Eeep!" she squeaked as her face flushed. Apparently, she didn't realize just how close she was to the young Shinigami, their faces only inches apart and when she did notice, she was so embarrassed that she quickly jolted away from him almost all the way across the room.

"Ah! Oh, um…" she stuttered, still embarrassed and nervous, "I-I…soup!" she finally blurted out. Chrona inwardly yelled at herself for sounding so stupid, but she had already said it, so there was no turning back now. She quickly scuttled over to where she had left the soup on the tray and gingerly carried it over to the slightly confused boy.

"H-h-here…" she said, handing the tray over to him while avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Oh, thank you," Kid replied accepting the offer. Chrona wanted to dash out of the room, but Kid stopped her, "Did you make this?"

"Ah…yes," the shy girl answered almost inaudibly.

"It's delicious." He stated after taking a sip. Then he looked up at her and smiled, which made her feel…weird. She suddenly felt her heart skip a beat and her knees buckle. Why? Why did she feel as if she was about to melt? After what felt like an eternity, Chrona decided she just couldn't take it anymore and slowly began to walk out of the room.

"Chrona-san? Where are you going?"

"Ah, I uh," the pinkette mumbled, in her haste to leave, she had failed to come up with a good idea for an excuse. She tapped her two index fingers together nervously when inspiration struck.

"I forgot the medicine!" which wasn't a lie actually. Again, she felt dumb for forgetting something so important, but was grateful to have an excuse to leave, even if it was only for a while. She then turned on her heels and shuffled out the room, her hands to her chest.

********

"Heehee~ They're so cute~!" a certain Death God crooned happily while swaying back and forth.

"It's not nice to spy on them, ya know." His right hand man commented upon entering the Death Room.

"Oh, come on~! I'm just having a little fun, that's all." Shinigami-sama retorted in a playful tone, "Besides, you would do the same thing if you were in my shoes."

"But, Shinigami-sama…you don't wear shoes." Spirit reminded while sweat-dropping, wondering if the shinigami even had feet to be able wear shoes with.

"Oh, pish-posh!" he replied childishly as he returned to spying on his son through the mirror before giggling with glee once again.

"I know they're cute…but I think you might be having a bit too much fun with this, Shinigami-sama…"

"Well, I can't help it! I just never expected my plan to work out so well." The God of Death stated after he disconnected his mirror from Kid's dresser mirror, "And in more than one way to boot!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, originally, I had asked Chrona to care for Kid because I thought her soul would have a good affect on him. I can't quite put my finger on it," he mused, slowly sticking out one of his giant, white fingers, "but that girl has a special power. A strange purity…I noticed this after we first met her, you remember?" Spirit nodded.

"I couldn't believe that she was the infamous demon sword wielder, because after all the killing that Medusa forced her to do, there is simply no way that she _couldn't_ have become a Kishin. Medusa saw this and dubbed her experiment and child, a failure." He explained, his voice taking on a very sad and serious tone, "Of course, growing up abused like Chrona was, she was overwhelmed with insanity and misery."

"And yet, even through all of that, her soul remained pure. It's extraordinary…It's rare enough when a human has a pure heart, nonetheless a witch. It's unheard of. Then again, I've never heard of a witch who abandoned magic to learn to become a technician either!" Shinigami-sama chuckled.

"Oh, but anyway, I figured that a purity that powerful would keep the madness in Kid's heart at bay, making it easier for him to heal. But I have to say, I never expected for him to fall in love!" he sang with utter joy, "Ah, yes! I must begin the wedding preparations right away!"

Spirit only chortled along with his meister as he drabbled on and on about how wonderful the wedding would be and about how Chrona would make an adorable wife for Kid.

"She looks especially cute in that new dress! I wonder where she got it…?" the shinigami pondered with a suspicious tone, "Spirit? Would _you _happen to have any idea how my daughter-in-law managed to get herself a maid's _and _a waitress' uniform?"

"Oh my, is it that late already? Sorry, Shinigami-sama, but I promised Maka that I'd-! …I'd, I'd, uh…" Spirit babbled, trying to come up with a decent excuse to leave as he began to sweat.

"…SHINIGAMI-CHOP!!"

********

Chrona fiddled with the medicine in her hands. Professor Stein had instructed her to be sure that Kid took these tablets twice a day. Easy enough, right? However, the young girl was finding it extremely difficult at the moment. She was standing outside his room, still twisting the pill bottle this way and that, not having worked up the courage to go inside yet.

Why? Why was it so hard for her to face him? True, it was rather difficult for Chrona to talk with _anyone_, but there was just something about him… Something that made her throat go dry and her heart race.

In Chrona's eyes, Kid was like a prince. He was smart, strong, brave, and handsome… He was always so well put together and he gave off more grace and dignity in his aura than anyone else she had ever seen. She both envied and greatly admired him. But that still didn't explain why she couldn't hardly handle being in his presence for more than two minutes. She didn't know how to deal with this!

What finally broke the young girl from her inner turmoil was the sound of the young shinigami coughing away in his room. An arrow of guilt went through her. How could she worry about that while a friend of hers was sick? Resolving on the fact that his suffering was greater and more important than hers, she slowly turned the knob and stepped inside.

By the time she came inside, Kid had taken a couple sips of water and was starting to calm down. Apparently, he hadn't even noticed that she had entered the room, because when she knelt down by him, asking if he was alright, he jerked back so violently that he fell off the other end of the bed.

"O-oh, my! Shinigami-kun!" Chrona said as she made her way around the bed to where the boy fell on the other side. She could hear a string of mumbled curses emitting from him as she neared.

"Did you hit your head? Do you want me to get you some ice?" she asked, concerned as she helped him to his feet.

"No, that won't be nec-…" Kid stopped short, for Chrona had made yet _another_ outfit change, but this time into a nurse's uniform. He could hardly believe how cute she looked. The dress was white with thin, blue vertical stripes running on its surface. It had puffed shoulders and long sleeves that ended with poofy white gloves. She wore an apron and a small, nurse's hat with a tiny red cross in the center of it.

'JUST HOW MANY OUTFITS DID THAT PERVERT OF A MAN GIVE HER?!?!' Kid thought to himself with mixed emotions. He looked away from her, his bangs covering his eyes with a heavy blush on his face. For a moment, Chrona thought that he was angry with her. Oh, what should she do? What should she-

"Chrona-san," Kid interjected her thoughts, "Th-those clothes…" he mumbled, his blush growing an even darker shade of red. "Why are you wearing them?"

She blinked in confusion before answering, "…W-well, Death Sythe-sama said…" calling the man by his formal title, "t-that they would make you…f-feel good, …s-so I…" the innocent girl murmured.

'F-f-f-f-feeeeeeeel good?!' Kid brooded, mouth agape, 'W-why that-! Just what did he mean by **that**!!? And just what did he expect to happen-?!' he stopped, his face suddenly turning hot as gutter-minded images to the answer of his question began pouring into his mind.

"S-Shinigami-kun?" the pinkette asked softly. Kid jerked his head over to her, the sight of her so close almost overwhelming him. For no matter how hard he tried to rid his mind of those same gutter-minded images, they only seemed to multiply. He stumbled away from her, feeling dizzy, which only made the little nurse more worried. She got closer to him without thinking again, trying to comfort him, only making things all the worse for the boy. What were all these powerful urges? He had never felt anything like it before… He had to get away from her and fast! Else, who knows what he might do.

"A-ah, C-Chrona-san?" the nearly crazed adolescent panted, "I-I think I could use an icepack after all…" he stated with a nervous chuckle.

"A-alright," the completely clueless girl answered, "I'll be right back then."

He waited until she was completely out of the room before collapsing onto his bed. He cursed his teenage hormones as he slammed his palm to his forehead with a grunt for the second time that day. After he had collected himself to a degree, he picked up his cell phone and began dialing numbers. He was going to call Liz and ask her to get Chrona some _appropriate _apparel. He had to get rid of the temptations as soon as possible, because he simply couldn't deal with it.

********

A/N: What can I say? I like clothes. And I like awkward situations. So putting them together is like the ultimate combination for me.

Yeah, I updated early, because I'm sick and all I have to do is kinda just sit here and write. Oh well, it's fun. =) More chapters comin' up soon.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I've just had so much work lately! Yeah, I'll try to update sooner, but I can't guarantee anything… Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

********

Sunshine streamed through the now open curtains of the young death god's bedroom windows. He sat there a moment contemplating again, mostly about his new lavender-haired caretaker. Just now…what was that? Those indescribable urges…things that Kid had never experienced before; something instinctual and animalistic that had long since been buried from years of mannered living and good upbringing.

'How disgusting…' Kid thought as he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, 'to think such vial things…and about her nonetheless! …No, I will not succumb to those beastly cravings…and I will never harm her.' He vowed, thoughts of the young girl coming to mind. She was so innocent, so pure…just like an angel. She was so kind, gentle and caring. It was as if she was a completely different person from the girl he battled on Nidhogg. He felt ashamed to have ever thought of her in such a way. Well, no more! Just as he declared his resolve, he heard a soft knock at the door.

"Ah, Chrona-san?" he asked, "You can come in." Slowly, but surely, the large door creaked open to reveal a small girl with her eyes to the floor.

"I-I…I brought…the ice f-for your head." She muttered as she handed it to him.

"Thank you, Chrona-san." Kid replied, "Won't you sit down?" he offered gesturing to the empty chair at his bedside. She said nothing, only did as she was told, making sure she folded out her skirt as she sat. He in turn sat down on his bed. He wanted to talk with her, get to know her better, but now wasn't quite sure what to say.

"So, why is it I haven't seen your partner yet?" Kid asked, saying whatever was on his mind. Chrona's eyes darted to Kid, not expecting the question, before darting back to the floor.

"R-Ragnarok, he…" she mumbled sadly, "He's too weak to come out…and it's all my fault." Chrona hung her head at the memory of her mother stabbing her. She didn't regret saving Maka, but she wished that she could have done it without hurting Ragnarok. He was her only friend and support during the long, harsh days of Medusa. Even if he was cruel to her at times, he had always been there for her and they had always fought side-by-side, through thick and thin.

"What do you mean…? Chrona, are you alright?" a very concerned Kid asked as he placed a hand on the now crying girl's shoulder. "I'm sure it wasn't-"

"But it was!" Chrona sobbed, her heart aching as she tried to continue. She didn't know what as going on, suddenly all these emotions that she had desperately been trying to keep bottled up were now pouring out of her. "I-I wanted to settle…everything…with her. With Medusa …but, I-I couldn't do it…b-because she's my mother! Even though I didn't want to be sad anymore…even though I didn't want to betray my friends ever again…she's still my mother…I-I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore, but… now she's dead…and Ragnarok…"

It was true, no matter how absurd or impossible it may sound, Chrona did love her mother. And on some level, don't we all? One can't help but love their own parents, no matter how abusive or cruel they may be. Instead of blaming Medusa, Chrona had always blamed herself. Thinking that she wasn't good enough, that she was **bad**. That she deserved all the horrific abuse that Medusa inflicted upon her.

The world that she was raised in was a world of pure darkness. Never knowing happiness or love. Even so, she survived. By some miracle, she didn't completely fall apart. And even though the wounds of her past are still visible on her heart, the fact that she managed to overcome it all and still become the kind girl that she was, was simply amazing.

"I-I didn't want to be her tool anymore… I wanted…I wanted to stay…here, with everyone…b-but, I c-couldn't choose…and now…it's too late." Chrona cried through the hands she covered her face with. "She's gone…it's all my fault…I-I'm not-! I'm not a monster!"

"Chrona…" Kid whispered. "I know." He was shocked at the girl's sudden confession and tears, but what surprised him the most was her story. Just when did all this happen? And where was he? He felt a pang of fury at Medusa for making Chrona suffer like this. If only he could have prevented it…He would give anything now to make her tears go away.

He had both hands on her shoulders, trying to provide some sort of comfort, but felt that if he wasn't extremely gentle that the girl in front of him might shatter into pieces. What happened next wouldn't have surprised Kid more if she actually had fallen apart. For in that moment, Chrona flung herself into his chest. She cried into his shirt, clutching the ends of it in her hands, as if trying to bury herself away from the world. At first, Kid was so shocked that he couldn't believe what had just happened, but once he felt her tears through his shirt it became all too real. The young shinigami responded by hesitantly pulling the shaking girl into a soft embrace.

"Did she hurt you, Chrona?" he whispered once her sobs had quieted down to haggard breaths. She nodded against him and moved her hand on his chest.

"Right…here." she murmured, her hand over his heart. Exactly where he had also been stabbed. Yes, both of them had wounds deep within their hearts…but they would get through it, together.

********

The days that followed were somewhat lighthearted. The two were both very much more comfortable and closer to each other than they had been before. Usually, Chrona felt too awkward around people to do or say much of anything, afraid that she wouldn't be good enough and that they'd abandon her. However, she felt that she could be herself with Kid and that he'd be able to accept her. Likewise, Kid had always kept himself at an arms-length from people, not wanting to get too involved with anyone, because he knew that if he did, he would only be hurting himself in the end. He was a shinigami after all, which meant that he would assuredly vastly outlive the lives of his friends and weapons, having to watch them age and die, while he stayed forever young. Yet, for some reason, he found himself opening up to Chrona.

Usually, one would think that the son of Shinigami and the black-blooded daughter of Medusa could heal quickly from any injury, but they had fought a legendary battle. Both teenagers had taken severe damage to their hearts, so much so that even Professor Stein was amazed that they both survived, especially Kid. Now, the two were healing steadily and enjoying each other's company.

Death City was also slowly recovering from the epic battle, which left some very concerned. For even though the downfall of the Kishin, Arachnophobia and Medusa was something to celebrate, that did not mean that there was no more evil in this world. Yes, soon there would be plenty of enemies ready to take Ashura's place and an attack on Death City while it as still in this state would be… Most did consider this, the crimson sky and the air around them that seeped with madness serving as their constant reminder. All they could do was try to recover the city and themselves as soon as possible. Besides, everything had been peaceful so far, so hopefully it would stay that way.

Normally, the little shinigami probably would have been worrying his head off over this, but it hadn't even crossed his mind. For some reason, whenever he was with her, all his anxieties seemed to disappear. He rarely had any nightmares or flashbacks anymore, but now was actually having fun. Most of the time, he was pretty uptight and serious about everything, but now he just felt so relaxed and…happy. Chrona was thoroughly enjoying herself as well. No one had ever made her feel this way before… It was one of the first times in her life she ever felt wanted. Truly and sincerely, wanted. Also, he made her heart flutter and her head spin. She _really_ didn't now how to deal with so many strange, new feelings…but somehow, she kind of liked it.

The young, lavender-haired girl mulled over this as she made her way down the hall to her bedroom. She was wearing her new pajamas that Maka, Liz and Patty had gotten for her. It was a relatively simple, long pink dress. It was very frilly and pretty. And was slightly poofy on the chest with a small bow in the top center of a row of ruffles that was held up by lacy, darker pink straps. Just below the bust, the dress tightened before flowing away until it ended with a row of ruffles.

Suddenly, she heard the doorbell ring. Who could it be? They weren't expecting any visitors… She heard it again. Well, she had to mind her manners…Maka and Kid taught her that they were important. She shuffled her way to the massive front door and leaned against it.

"U-um, yes? W-who is it?" Chrona tried to say loudly.

"Chrona? It's me, Maka." A cheery voice replied.

"Heeey," another voice grumbled.

"Oh, and Soul." The blonde giggled.

"Maka!" Chrona exclaimed happily as she swung the door open for them.

"Can we come in?" her friend asked politely.

"O-oh, of course."

"Oh! Chrona! You look _so_ nice in those! I just knew you would!" Maka squealed upon noticing her friend's attire. This earned her a blush from the little pinkette. Which was so adorable it only made Maka want to coo over her more, but she stopped herself, wanting to save her friend from further embarrassment. "Sorry, Chrona. I guess we should have come at a better time."

"It's not that late. It's only- oooff!" Soul grunted as his technician elbowed him for being rude.

"We came to visit you and Kid. Can we see him?" Chrona nodded and turned to lead them to his room. Once they were there, she knocked on the door, and then slowly opened it for them to come inside. Kid was surprised at first to see them, but immediately brightened up while setting his book aside. They all chatted about various things like; how repairs were going, what Black Star did or said yesterday, how they were all healing, etc.

But at one point or another, Chrona seemed to drift off into her own little world. She had been worrying and wondering a lot lately over a certain little shinigami. He was affecting her, changing her even…but why? How? She thought about it, she closed her eyes and tried to visualize these emotions. The feelings that she received from Kid were unlike anything she had experienced before. Friendship. The warm light that was first offered to her by Maka, but also something else-many other things. Just what were all these feelings welling up inside of her? She felt like she was going to burst…and yet, it felt good. But, just how was that possible…to feel so bad, but so good at the same time? She _had_ to know, she just couldn't deal with this anymore!

"Chrona?" Maka asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"Maka…actually," the timid girl began, "n-no…I think I'm…sick. D-do you think I…c-could talk to you?" The fellow technician only smiled as she patted her shoulder. Agreeing, the blonde girl led them out of the room, excusing them both for a bit in an attempt to find more privacy. They went to Chrona's room to talk and once Maka egged Chrona on enough, she told her everything about how she felt; about the butterflies in her stomach and the warmth in her chest she felt when she was with him and about the emptiness she felt when they were apart. At first, Maka was silent, as if she was soaking up everything her friend said like a sponge. Her silence made Chrona nervous, making her wonder if she had done something wrong. Then, she just smiled her all-knowing smile.

"Chrona…" she began slowly, "I think you're in love."

"…L-love?" she whispered, her friend only nodding in reply. "B-but…I…that can't be. …I've never…no one has ever…" she began to cry as tears blurred her vision. "…It can't be…can it?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, I think it can."

Chrona only hiccupped as she continued to cry. Maka slowly making her way over to the shaking girl, rubbing her back as she gave her a hug. Chrona had once said, _"I've never cried this much before. …I-I don't know how to deal with the tears!"_ But now, both girls thought that perhaps she had spoken too soon.

'I'm going to need some backup on this one…'

A couple hours later they left, which felt all too soon, but it was getting rather late. They all said their goodbyes at the door, promising to see each other again soon. Though it still made Chrona's heart feel heavy when she closed the front door behind them. She sighed; she still had so many questions.

"Don't worry, you'll see them again soon." Kid reassured her with a gentle smile, as if reading her mind. "Come, I'll walk you to your room." The girl nodded and turned to follow him.

'Wow, she's so…_cute_.' Kid thought to himself as he glanced over to the girl before turning around to start heading towards the rooms. 'W-what? No! I'm a shinigami, I can't be thinking of those types of things…' he sighed, 'It would only end in heartbreak.'

"W-well…good night then." the sword technician murmured.

"Ah, yes. Good night." he answered as she stepped into her own room a ways from his. He then turned around and entered his own room with a frown.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yay! I finally updated! It took me a while mostly because of stupid finals, and I just had so many ideas for how this story could end that I just couldn't choose. ^^' So, instead of having to choose, I think I'll either write alternate endings, or entirely separate oneshots revolving around its ending. Cast your votes now! Lol

********

"Ok everybody, let's get down to business." Liz began, feeling very much like an in charge, capable woman, "So what's the plan?"

"Yeah! Plan: Chrona and Kid~ sittin' in a tree~, K-I-S-S-I-N-" Patty chanted, but was pulled out of the way by her sister, telling her that maybe that name for the plan was a little too long. Patty replied by pouting like a child as Maka proceeded to take the floor.

"A-ahem." The blonde coughed, trying to get the female weapons' attention so she could share her ideas, "I'm guessing you all know why I asked you over?"

"Ha~i! You called us because Kid and Chwona have been awll wovey dovey waitly, but just won't admit iwt! Hehehehe!" Patty confirmed in a baby voice.

"Exactly. Meaning, that it's up to us to get them together." Maka declared, the fire of determination burning in her jade green eyes.

"YOSH!!" Patty screamed with a deranged smile, setting on fire as well, the intensity of the both of their fires combining making Tsubaki and Liz sweat nervously in their seats.

"B-but, should we really be interfering like this…?" Tsubaki mumbled while raising her hand feeling like she had to in order to get her friends' attention. "I mean…it really isn't any of our business. …If they like each other, they'll find out eventually for themselves, right? I think it'd be best not to pressure them-"

"But if we don't do _something_, then nothing will ever happen." Liz interjected rising from her chair, "Those two are like little babies, and if mommy and daddy just step back and leave them be, then nothing will get done."

"…Um, just who do you mean by, 'mommy and daddy'?"

"Hahahahahaha!"

"I agree with Liz. Well, at least on the part about needing to do something." Maka added, trying to refocus the group, "I was talking with Chrona and she said that she really does want to tell Kid how she feels, but she just can't." At this, the girls all hushed and immediately sat leaning on the edge of their seats to listen.

"But, why not?"

"I think it's a simple case of analysis-paralysis."

"…Uh, can you say that in layman's terms, please?"

"Oh, well basically, it means that Chrona is thinking and worrying about it so much that she can't make a decision. …But recently she told me she was going to give up."

"Awww~, but whyyyy~?"

"She had a lot of reasons, which will make it hard to convince her otherwise. Mainly, she didn't want to 'bother' him, she felt he was so 'good' while she was so 'bad', and that she just didn't know how to deal with it." The sword technician air-quoted her friend's words before taking on an air of depression. "She thinks she's not good enough and that he'll reject her. So she does want to tell him, she's just afraid."

"Ooohhh…" the girls sighed in unison.

"Oh! That's right! She also said that she thought Kid was avoiding her and was wondering if he hated her." She quickly added, the glow of fire returning to the meister's eyes, but this time it burned in fury, "That every time she sees him, or tries to talk with him, he'll just turn around and run away!"

"What?!?" the twin pistols yelled together. "How could he do something like that to poor little Chrona-chan! All she ever did was like him!"

"I know! What a jerk!"

"Uh…"

"What an ass!"

"Um, excuse me…"

"What a dunce!"

"Bastard!"

"Excuse me!" Tsubaki finally raised her voice, blushing when all the angry heads snapped in her direction. "S-So, …w-what does Kid-san think of C-Chrona-chan, then?" she stuttered, trying to get the conversation back on track and stop the incessant screaming and swearing.

Tsubaki and Maka looked to the twins for the answer with curious expressions, but received no reply. They both were humming, obviously deep in thought when they both finally answered.

"I dunno…"

"Haven't got a clue! Hehehehe!"

The two girls only sighed in response, when Patty out of nowhere began to run out of the small apartment towards the door, just barely being stopped when her sister grabbed her head.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm gonna go ask Kid-kun if he likes Chrona too."

"Oh, no you're not."

"Eeeeehhhh~?" she whined, "But why nooot?"

"We've gotta have a plan, Patty. We can't just charge into this headfirst not knowing what we're doing. We'll probably screw everything up." To this, everyone nodded in silent agreement.

"Oooohh~. Onee-chan, you're so smart!"

"Yeah, if we're going to do this, we have to go about it tactfully..." the bookworm stated, beginning to go through a series of possibilities and scenarios of what could be done in her mind. "Hmmm… It's hard when we don't know how Kid feels though…" she said when there was a long silence among the girls.

"Even though I don't want to think this… There is a possibility that this could all just be one-sided…" the more mature, raven-haired girl considered sounding very sad. "…I don't think I could stand watching Chrona get her heart broken…Nonetheless, knowing that we were the ones responsible…"

Maka hadn't taken that into consideration yet, the realization that Tsubaki could be right almost making her want to quit everything right then and there. She didn't think she could handle seeing Chrona so sad again.

"Also, it could be that it's just a crush, so-"

"No," Maka interrupted, "You're wrong." All attention was focused on the blonde now. "You don't know how she feels, or what she thinks. You haven't heard her cry…" she drifted off, remembering the times when she would find Chrona in her room lying on her bed, sobbing her eyes out. Her heart ached at the memory; the pain only increasing when she imagined how devastated Chrona would be if Tsubaki spoke the truth. Maybe they should just let this go… She thought over it, but somehow, it just didn't feel right…

"No… She can't give up, because…because…" Maka tried to say her feelings, but just couldn't seem to put them into words, "Well, what if he _does_ like her? If she gives up now, then how will he ever know? He might be scared just like Chrona, and if she doesn't tell him how she feels, then she'll loose him. …And I think that would make her even more sad."

The other girls smiled at their younger friend, she was right after all. They couldn't just sit back and let Chrona get hurt, if there was something that they could do; then they'd do it. Maka raised her head, with newfound motivation.

"Hey," she suddenly prompted, "I think I have an idea."

********

It had been a few days since classes had started again and everything seemed to be returning to normal. Shinigami-sama had dubbed that the guest rooms at Shibusen were now safe enough for Chrona to be able to move back in. Ragnarok had even reappeared. His first words being how he had never felt so friggin' hungry in his life and how somebody better get him some food now or who knows what he'd do. Though he whined it like a child who had just woken up from a long nap. To this, most responded with a mixture of groans and sighs, while Chrona seemed to be the only one happy to see him. Even his usual ranting couldn't wipe the tiny smile from her face.

Death the Kid remembered this incident as he roamed his house. Just when did his house get so big? It never seemed this large before, or this…empty. He glanced over to the side; somehow he had wandered to her old room. He casually stepped inside, but only for a brief moment. He looked around and sighed.

"You've gotta cut it out, Kid." Liz told him, also stepping inside the room, her voice resonating with a mixture of concern and frustration. Kid jumped, not expecting anyone else to be home.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." He stated flatly, not quite looking his weapon in the eyes.

"Oh, come off it, Kid. We know what's going on." She bit back as Patty also entered the room. Kid honestly didn't know what they were referring to, but strangely enough, he found himself becoming angry and defensive. He felt like he was the star of an intervention, it was all a bit too melodramatic for him.

"I apologize, but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Now if you don't mind-"

"You miss her, don't you, Kid-kun?" Patty stated more than asked. Kid's and Liz's eyes darted in her direction, surprised by this uncharacteristically mature and spot-on deduction.

At first, he just stared at them, shocked. Then he looked away, his bangs hiding his expression. His silence served as more than enough of an answer to their question. Both sisters closed their eyes a moment before continuing.

"You like her, don't you, Kid-kun?" Kid jerked his head up.

"…No, …I don't." he tried to deny, but wasn't at all convincing.

"Then why don't you look at us when you say that?" the eldest of the sisters prompted, but received no reply. "I wish you would just listen to us, Kid." He glanced over to them with a stern look on his face, but said nothing.

"It's okay to miss her, ya know." Liz said softly, her sister nodding in agreement.

"…You're wrong." The two girls looked at him in disbelief, "It's not okay."

"Kid…"

"It's not okay…for me to miss her. It's not okay for me to wish that she were back. And it's not okay for me to love her…" he almost whispered, not expecting to say that. Kid stopped as he slowly raised his head, the realization of it all almost overwhelming him.

He loved her, …didn't he?

There was no denying it any longer. He didn't just like her. He loved that girl. He loved her with all his heart, with all his being. He reminisced about the time they spent together; those wonderful, lighthearted months were perhaps the happiest days of his life. And somehow, he had slowly lost his heart to her. After all this time…he only just realized his true feelings, but wasn't ready to accept them.

"Says who?" Patty snapped after Kid was silent for a few moments, "Who says that you're not allowed to like Chrona? Nobody, that's who! You're the one not letting yourself love her Kid! You're the only one who says that it's not okay!"

"You just don't understand…" he sighed, "I'm a shinigami…Even if I were to allow myself to love, …there is just no place for it in my life. I can't love anyone. Ever. It would only end in heartbreak." They were all silent for a second before he continued, "Do you know how old my father is?" they shook their heads, "Well, neither do I. All I know is that he has always been. He could be thousands, millions, even billions of years old, and you could never tell. As shinigami, we are death embodied. Its not to say that we will never die, but its easily said that we will assuredly outlive every other living thing on this earth."

"On one account, my father told me a small amount of his past. He happily described memories with friends and comrades. All up until I asked him where they were now… They had all died. They had slowly aged and died, and all my father could do was just stand back and watch them suffer… I don't want that…ever. Its already bad enough knowing that one day I'll have to witness all of you leave me…I just don't think that I'll be able to handle it if…" he turned around, not wanting his weapons to see him in such a vulnerable state.

He suddenly heard identical footsteps drawing near from behind him, but before he could face them, the twins had wrapped their arms perfectly symmetrically around his neck, pulling him into a gentle hug. They stayed like that for a moment longer, the girls trying to transfer as much comfort and support to their meister as they could. Kid could feel it; words were not needed, for their bond was deep. The connection they all shared was one of his most precious treasures…and one of his greatest regrets. For he knew, that one day all too soon, he would have to see them leave him behind. He felt that not having any relationships with anyone was better than having a relationship for it only to undoubtedly be striped away from him in the end.

"Kid…"

"Kid-kun…"

"No, I'm sorry…but I won't make the same mistake twice." He declared upon loosening himself from their embrace and beginning to leave the room.

"…Is that what you really think?" Kid stopped dead in his tracks.

"Is that how you really feel? …Us meeting, becoming partners…friends even. …Do you really think it was a mistake?"

"Do you really regret it that much?"

"Because we don't." the girls declared in unison, their voices unwavering. He turned around.

"It's better to have love then lost, then never to have loved at all." They quoted as they made their way to his side. And for the first time in his life, he thought he truly understood just what that phrase meant.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Liz questioned with a smile. "Go to her already! …If you don't, you know you'll regret it."

"Yeah! Beat it, you big dummy!"

"L-Liz…Patty…" They only nodded in reply and he understood. They were right. Instead of pushing Chrona away, he should be savoring the time he had with her, no matter how limited it was. He loved her -he knew that now. He wasn't going to run away anymore. He was going to find her and tell her how he felt about her…no matter what the consequences.

********

Chrona squeezed her pillow tightly to her chest as she basked in the emptiness of her guest room. She had always thought that being alone was one of the few things that she did know how to deal with, but now…

She sighed as she stood at her bedside. She seemed to be sighing quite a lot lately. It was the only sound filling the empty air of her guest room, but it quickly twisted into smoke, leaving the room feeling ever more hollow. It felt especially vacant due to the absence of Ragnarok's usual demanding and complaining. Chrona sighed once more at the thought. Even though Ragnarok could come out again, he was still healing, so most of the time he spent sleeping within her, only appearing in the most extreme of situations.

At that moment, the lonely girl heard the merciful sound of a soft knock at her door followed by a familiar voice. She sprung her head up in surprise and excitement.

"Chrona, can I come in?" she recognized the voice, "I have something to tell you." She felt as if the spark of hope that had lit when she heard the knock was blown out. It was Maka. She was disappointed, but why? She put the matter aside for later as she trudged to her door, Mr. Pillow still in her grasp. She took hold of the cold doorknob and opened the door and the bright face her friend wore immediately fell when she saw the state her friend was in.

"Chrona, are you alright?" the blonde asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Ah…" she almost whispered, not quite having heard her, "M-mn…I'm fine."

"Well…that's good to hear." She replied, deciding to drop the subject, "A-Anyway, I have something to tell you." Chrona managed to pull her eyes from the floor to properly face her friend. "Tonight we're going to spend the night at Liz and Patty's house."

"…E-Eeeeeeeh?!" the spacey girl asked, the realization that 'Patty and Liz's house' was also Kid's house finally sinking in. It seemed like so long since she ad been there last and she missed it. But there was no way that she could go there again. Going there would mean…

"See? I brought you a spare suitcase to use." Maka said as she strode into her very panicked friend's room, "Here, I'll help you pack." Chrona could barely believe her bad luck. There was no way that she could possibly face Kid after all this time. She would just have to refuse. There was no other choice.

"A-ano…M-Maka…" she muttered.

"Oh, Chrona, this'll be so much fun! It'll be the first sleepover for us, won't it? I can't wait!" she beamed as she continued to pack Chrona's things. Oh no. She was so nice…and so happy… No, she had to refuse! She had to but… The pinkette glanced at her friend. Catching her gaze, Maka sparkled with an incredibly cute grin and giggle. All hope was lost now. There was no way she could deny her now. Maybe if she was lucky, she would just die before they even got there.

"Chrona…" the scythe technician suddenly said, her voice seeping with a mixture of anger, confusion, and utter shock. "T-these clothes… Where did you get them?" she queried as her face contorted in disgust. Chrona blinked a few times in confusion before noticing that her friend was holding up one of her old working uniforms.

"…These?" she questioned innocently, grasping the maid's, waitresses', and nurse's uniforms.

"Yes…those" Maka confirmed as she stared at the garments with disbelief.

"Death Scythe-sama gave them to me…" Chrona stated as she began to worry about her friend. She looked kind of like a thermometer, her face was snow white, but was slowly turning cherry red.

"_**What**__??" _

"D-d-death…S-scythe-sama…"

"…I'M GOING TO RIP HIS ARCILLES TENDON OFF AND THEN MAKE HIM EAT IT!!!!" Maka roared with the flames of hell in her eyes as she raced out of Chrona's room and down the hall, leaving smoke and scorch marks in her wake. At this, Chrona was so terrified that she couldn't even move, she just stood there shaking, her eyes as big as dinner plates in both curiosity of why her friend had changed so suddenly and dramatically, and also in pure horror at the sight.

Unfortunately for her, she quickly recovered from her fear, only to feel the emptiness with a vengeance. She slowly returned to facing her bed and continuing her packing. Deciding that at least being at Kid's house with her friends would be better than sitting there alone. Worst-case scenario; she could just avoid him. Not that she really needed to, he probably wouldn't even talk to her.

Plus, after having seen Maka like that, there was no way that she was ever going to do anything to even remotely upset her.

********

A/N: I'd like to thank Primativeradiogoddess for her idea of having Maka find out about Spirit's little scheme. I originally wasn't planning on Maka ever finding out, but I liked the idea and asked if I could use it. Hope it turned out well! =D

Only one more chapter left, the big climax. Really hope it doesn't suck. jk. Stay tuned ;)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to post. ^^' I had it about 2/3rds of the way done and it was just sitting in my laptop for the longest time because I've been super busy lately. I know I say that all the time, but it's even truer now. Soccer season just started, c'mon guys, cut me some slack. Anyway, it's up now. Made it pretty long just for you, so I hope you enjoy it. =)

********

Chrona stared at the astounding heated scorch marks that Maka had left on the stone floor leading out of her room and into the hall. They were very impressive, yet terrifying at the same time. The devil sword wielder had never seen her friend that angry or that scary before, and they had even battled on numerous occasions. Not even the time when Maka let herself be overcome by the black-blood that resulted in the blonde trying to eat her stunned her this much.

"Urgh, what's going on, Chrona?" the rosette heard a familiar voice grumble, she looked up to see the familiar black and white face of her partner. "Your hearts beating pretty fast, what's wrong?" he asked again as he rubbed his x-shaped eye with his tiny fist. Chrona blinked with curiosity and surprise, he seemed much nicer than he usually was. Was he actually worried about her?

"Hey, answer me when I'm talking to you!" Ragnarok barked with a sudden burst of energy. Chrona pouted, realizing that his temporary kindness was only out of grogginess.

"…It's nothing." She replied softly as she turned to resume her packing.

"Hey, what's all this about?" he queried leaning on the edge of his meister's head to get a better look at what she was doing.

"M-Maka invited me to go to a 'sleep over'…" she said the words 'sleep over' oddly, still not completely understanding what the event entitled.

"Humph, sounds boring," he huffed, "I'm going back to sleep." And with that, he dissipated into her back, and for the first time in her life, Chrona wished that he had stuck around.

She sighed stuffing the last of her things into the old borrowed suitcase. She picked up her bag and began to head to her door to leave, but stopped mid-way. The all too familiar nag of her worry and doubt had returned to eating away at the corners of her mind. If she went to the mansion again, she'd finally have to face him. They hadn't spoken for so long, she didn't know how do deal with seeing him again. Even though a part of her did want so desperately for the two of them to meet again. For things to return to the way they were before, though she knew deep in her heart that it was not to be. Going to this party would undoubtedly only remind her of this painful fact.

But…Maka was so kind and sweet; there was no way that she'd lead her down the wrong path. She had done so much for her. She believed in her and supported her when no one else would. The least she could do to repay her was go to this strange 'sleepover' for her. If she didn't go, then she might make Maka sad…she certainly didn't want that. She'd just have to go, no matter how uncomfortable it would be for her.

'For Maka's sake,' she declared in her mind, the phrase giving her courage she didn't know she possessed. With that resolution in mind, she grabbed a firm hold on the door's handle and left the room.

The pinkette had shuffled her way outside of Shibusen and down the road towards Kid's house when it suddenly began to pour as dark grey clouds hid the yawning sun.

'For Maka's sake,' she tried to encourage herself, but the rain only seemed to fall harder.

'For Maka's sake.' She repeated mentally before sneezing; it was getting really cold now.

'F-for Maka's sake.' This was a problem; her determination was beginning to deteriorate. She could barely see where she was going it was raining so heavily. Her pace slowed as she began to wonder if maybe the bad weather was a bad omen, telling her not to go. Maybe she should just go back…

The easily startled girl nearly jumped out of her skin at what she heard right as she conceived the thought of giving up. It was the boom of thunder and the crack of lightning along with probably the worst, most frightening cry of agony she had ever heard in her entire life. The wail even rivaled that of her and Ragnarok's scream resonance. She couldn't imagine what gruesome, horrible torment whoever was screaming was being given, but she could tell that it was coming directly from Shibusen.

Well, if the unfavorable weather was a bad omen, then that couldn't be anything less than a death warning. Upon hearing another dreadful holler echo through her ears once again, she quite literally ran from the source of the sound toward Kid's house, thinking that anywhere must be better than there at the moment.

After what seemed like miles of running, Chrona had finally made it to Death the Kid's massive front door. She hunched over, panting and gasping for breath before opening her eyes to marvel at the huge, intricately decorated door. It seemed so intimidating that she was having a hard time bringing up her fist to knock on it. Right when she had strained her hand about halfway to it, it suddenly came rushing toward her, and before the girl could even react; it had opened and hit her hard right in the face.

Then, everything went black.

********

Death the Kid quickened his pace with newfound determination and drive as he walked down the halls of his house, his two weapons right on his tail.

"Don't worry, Kid. We know you can do it!" Liz said encouragingly from his right.

"Yeah! Go for it, Kid-kun!" Patty cheered from his left, "Be a man!" Kid nodded, not entirely hearing what they were saying.

'Chrona…I'm coming now,' he thought to himself, the sound of his weapons' chanting turning into white noise as he neared his front door.

'Chrona...' He reached out and grabbed the door's handle.

'Chrona,' he swung the door open with full force, intending to dash out immediately after opening it, when he heard a loud bang and a thud from the other side of it. He looked over its edge as his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Chrona!" he yelled, completely flabbergasted. He had unintentionally hit her with his own front door so hard that she fainted!

"Eh, 'Chrona'? Chrona-chans here?" the twin pistols blinked in wonder before seeing just what their technician was flailing so smazzmatically about. It was the familiar girl that they hadn't just been talking about less than a minute before, lying on their doorstep, unconscious with a thin trail of blood trickling down from her forehead.

"What you'd do that for, Kid?" Liz asked as she bent down to pick up the knocked out girl, "Now that was uncalled for."

"Wha-what?! But, I-I didn't-!" Kid wheezed, still shaken by the strange and extremely unlucky turn of events.

"Hahahaha! Chrona went boom!" Patty laughed from the background as her sister turned back into the house, carrying the sleeping girl on her back.

"Patty, can you get me a towel and a change of clothes for Chrona? She's soaked to the bone," the brunette prompted, completely ignoring Kid as he slumped to the floor behind her.

"Ha~i!" her sister replied cheerfully as she skipped off to complete her assigned task. They were all gone now, leaving Kid to wallow in his misery.

********

A while later, the tall girl shut the guest room door behind her as she shushed her sister, telling her that if she's not quiet, she might wake Chrona up. The shorter blonde only grinned in reply when they both turned to the sound of muffled sobs. They exchanged glances in dreaded recognition as they went into comfort mode.

"Let's go, Patty."

"Heeheehee! Haha!"

When they finally found Kid, he was curled up with his head buried in his arms that were wrapped around his knees. He was in the corner, muttering something that they couldn't quite decipher. The sisters bent down on either side of him.

"Urgh! I can't believe I did that!" he suddenly bellowed before slumping his head back onto his knees. His position made the girls think of Chrona, she must be rubbing off on him.

"C'mon now. It wasn't that bad." The elder of the girls tried to soothe, but the boy only groaned in protest. "Well…look at it this way; this is a perfect opportunity for you!" Kid glanced up at her with a look that said that he thought maybe she had lost her mind.

"Okay, just hear me out," Liz pouted, reading his expression, "I mean, think about it. In all honesty, things couldn't have turned out better for you. You were going to go to her, but she came to you. That must mean something, right?" She continued, looking over at her sister who smiled from ear to ear, feeling like she was in on the funniest secret ever. "Besides, she's here now, right? It's raining, so we can use that as an excuse to make her stay. She's already in the bedroom-"

"Stop right there." Kid instructed with an embarrassed glare and a raised hand. Was Spirit rubbing off on her? …Wait a minute, was he only rubbing of on Liz? Well, that certainly wouldn't do. If he was going to rub off on one of them, he should at least rub off on both of them. …Wait a minute…did he really want that…?

"Calm down, Kid. I was just joking." She chuckled with her hands up apologetically. "But anyway, she's here now, so why don't you just tell her when she wakes up?"

"Oh, yes, indeed!" Kid jerked with angry sarcasm, "And just what do you suppose I should say? 'I know it may not seem like it, seeing as I knocked you out cold, but the truth is that even though I probably gave you severe brain damage, Chrona, I actually love you!'"

"Yeah, that sounds perfect!" Patty agreed, not understanding that Kid wasn't being serious.

"Ugh! Just let me die! I'm worthless trash!" Kid cried as he pounded his fist into the floor, "Oh, no… what if I gave her a bruise or a scratch on only one side of her face?!"

"Kid! Get a hold of yourself!" Liz demanded as she shook him vigorously, "Is that really what's most important right now?"

"…N-no, I suppose not," he murmured, seeing stars.

"Okay, good. Well, now that you understand, we'll be on our way." Liz informed them as she rose from her place at Kid's side, "Let's go, Patty."

"Awwww~, but I wanna see the show!" she whined in protest.

"I know, I know. I want to see it too, we all do," Liz started in a very motherly way.

'Wait, just who did she mean by, 'we all do'?' Kid considered as he watched the two, 'And what _show_?!'

"But we can't stay, or we'll make them nervous. Okay?"

"O~h, I see," Patty said with a finger to her chin. "You can do it, Kid-kun! Fight-o!" she cheered as she pulled out and began to respectively wave green and orange flags with the phrase _Fight!_ written on their surfaces.

"W-wait! Where are going?!" the boy reached out from the tiled floor.

"Don't worry, we'll be back eventually. I feel like doing some power shopping." The brunette stated as she dragged her sister trough the front door, "We know you can do it." They said simultaneously before they both gave him one last thumbs up sign as they slipped through the front door.

"But-!" he tried again, but it was too late, they had already left. He waited a moment before sighing as he pulled himself up off of the floor. Having nothing else to do, he began to pace as he rehearsed his speech of what he was going to say in his mind, just the mere thought of it racking at his nerves.

********

When Chrona awoke, she found herself in a dark place. She waited for her eyes to adjust when she started to make out shapes. She could see that it was a lavish, yet somewhat familiar room. Her mind a blur, she grabbed at her throbbing head as she rose into a sitting position. Her head hurt so much; it was hard to focus so she first tried to figure out where she was. Her dark eyes scanned the room, and then it hit her. There was only one place on earth that was this black and white, sophisticated, and ridiculously orderly. She was in Death the Kid's mansion.

Upon realization, Chrona immediately panicked and followed her first instinct-run. Mind racing to a point of colorful, nonsensical haze, Chrona grabbed hold of the warm sheets over her legs and tossed them aside as she pushed herself onto her feet. Unfortunately for her, the girl was much too hasty in her desperate escape and lost her footing. Causing the young technician to stumble and fall, sending new waves of pain through her already abused enough head. The pink-haired girl clutched her head in a futile effort to dull the painful ringing.

She peaked an eye open when she caught the sound of excited yelling a ways outside her door. She couldn't quite place whom the voices belonged to, but something told her that she recognized them. She crawled to the edge of the door as silently as she could.

"Calm down, Kid. I was just joking." She heard a voice laugh nervously.

"But anyway, she's here now, so why don't you just tell her when she wakes up?" Her eyes blinked in recognition; that was Liz-san's voice! But who was she talking to? And who was she talking about?

"Oh, yes, indeed!" Chrona jumped back at the sound of the angry, deep voice. There was no mistaking it. That was Kid's voice! "And just what do you suppose I should say? 'I know it may not seem like it, seeing as I knocked you out cold, but the truth is that even though I probably gave you severe brain damage, Chrona, I actually love you!'"

Chrona's petite hand shot up to her mouth in an attempt to mute her gasp as she fell back, unable to hold herself up.

Just now…what was that?

'_Chrona, I actually love you!_' the words resonated in her mind over and over again, as if she needed to hear them again just to be sure that they were actually spoken and not just a figment of her imagination. She wasn't even thinking; all she could hear was Kid's unintentional confession replay in her ears. With each time the phrase repeated in her mind, her heart beat faster and faster. The complete tremor and surprise she felt hit her blocked the chance of any thought process. It was as if she was frozen solid where she sat.

What finally snapped her back into reality was the sound of the front door slam. Did that mean they all left? She waited a moment to listen and make sure they were all gone. Nothing. The coast must be clear. She stood and slowly creaked her door open, as her eyes grew wide. For not a few feet directly in front of her was the one person who made her feel as if she was about to burst. Death the Kid was standing towards her with a look of equal surprise on is face as they both stared at each other in awkward silence. Both teenagers were desperately scrambling for something, anything to say.

"C-Chrona…" Kid at last began and Chrona finally snapped as she bolted for the door. Hearing him say her name was just too much. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she didn't understand any of it. How could they be friends, then him not even speak to her without explanation, then him suddenly say something like that? There was no way he could love her. No way anyone could ever love her, nonetheless someone like him. It had to be a lie. It had to be. She knew this. She knew this from the very beginning. But then, why did it hurt so much?

"Chrona!!" the young shinigami yelled in desperation. Without thinking, he instinctively took off after her and caught her by the wrist just before she escaped.

"No! No!" she screamed in response, her eyes rimmed with tears. At this Kid didn't know how to react.

"Chrona…. Chrona…!" Kid tried in order to get her attention so that he could possibly calm her down, but it only seemed to make thing worse as she continued to struggle in his grasp. He tried to restrain her as things became more violent, but he didn't want to hurt her. Finally, he grabbed both her wrists and pinned her to the wall. Chrona's eyes grew wide once again as she stared up at his looming figure above her. She gasped when his head rose and his bangs revealed tender, concerned eyes. She hung her head in the other direction as she made one last effort to escape, but Kid had stepped closer to her to signal to her that she wasn't getting away. The demon sword wielder took the hint and halted her attempts, still not facing him.

"Chrona…" Kid tried one last time, trying to get a glimpse of her deep magenta eyes.

"No…" she almost whispered, "I- …I don't… I don't understand." Kid looked at her face with confusion of his own.

"Why…? …How…? …H-How could you h-hate me, then suddenly s-say something like that…?" she managed to coke out between sobs as she finally looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

Kid felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut. Was this how he made her feel?

"Chrona…I don't hate you. I don't hate you at all." He said his voice laced with guilt. The girl raised her tear-streaked face as her cries quieted down. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I made you feel this way. I'm such a coward. …All this time I was running. Running from a reality that I didn't want to face. The reality that I love you, but that I couldn't be with you." The air hung silent for a moment.

"B-but…why?" the girl asked, her heart swelling from the knowledge that the one she loved the most felt the same way about her, only to crumble at the sound of his words.

"Chrona… As much as I wish it weren't true, it is. Even if we could be together, it would only be for a short time." Kid's heart sank as he watched her shake her head and her tears return. "I'm a shinigami. This fact I cannot change. So, undoubtedly my lifetime will greatly exceed yours, meaning-"

"Well, aren't you full of yourself." They both heard a smarmy voice comment as they spun their heads up in unison. "I was trying to ignore your stupid little love-fest, but it just got so annoying I couldn't take it!"

"Just who do think you are, stripe boy? You really think you're so great and holy that you'll outlive everybody else?" Ragnarok questioned deciding to pop out in the middle of the adolescents' tear-jerking conversation. "Don't make me laugh! You really don't know anything, do you?" Both teens got the feeling that they were about to be schooled by this little blob. Could he have done it at a more awkward time though?

"At the very least you get that Medusa is Chrona's mom, right? Well, even though Chrona never learned magic and was forced and raised as a meister in favor of witchcraft because of her mother, Medusa is still is her mother. Nothing will ever change that fact. So even though she doesn't know how to cast a spell, she still has the physique of a witch. So thanks to her genes, her body will grow and develop and age the same as a witch's body would. So if anything, she might even outlive you, stupid!" he added with a sudden burst of anger, completely ruining his somewhat smart, cool speech.

"…Hmph, the body of a witch, the blood of a weapon, and the soul of a priss, you're one seriously screwed up bitch, Chrona." He grunted just before finally deciding to take his leave.

There was a moment of very awkward silence as this major discovery slowly sunk in. This wasn't just a surprise for Kid, this as the also the first Chrona had heard of this. She always knew that she different from her friends and the other girls around her, but was she really that disgusting? She looked down in shame, feeling like some sort of freak of nature, when she heard Kid laughing.

This caught the girl off guard as she perked her head up in continuous surprise. Her curiosity and wonder at the first time seeing him genuinely happy like this overwhelmed her sadness.

"I-…I'm sorry, Chrona… It's just…" the boy wheezed as he ran his hand through his bangs. He just couldn't contain himself. He was just so overjoyed with relief that he burst out in laughter. "It's just…I'm such a fool. All this time, I've been so blind."

"Do you know what this means?" he questioned as he took hold of both her hands, his smile even outshining the sun. "We can finally be together! …That is…if you'll have a fool like me…?"

Chrona could tell by the sound of his voice and the look on his face that Kid was putting himself out on a limb. She couldn't take the uncertainty and sorrow in his eyes. She flung herself into his chest, this time out of joy, not sadness. Kid quickly got over his surprise in time to hold her back.

"Y-yes…Yes, I will." She replied, "I-I think…I love you, Kid." She mumbled through his shirt. The boy smiled at the fact that the girl was now comfortable enough to call him by his first name. And he beamed at the fact that the one he held most dear somehow felt the same way about him.

"I love you too, Chrona." He declared at long last, his voice unwavering, "Would you maybe consider going out with me?"

"Y-yes…" she whispered, beginning to cry again, "I would like that very much."

He shushed her softly as he stroked her pink hair, trying to calm her newfound sobs. But these cries were born of happiness, and even though Chrona still didn't know how to deal it the tears, she didn't think she minded at all.

********

A/N: Can you guess who made the "dreadful wail of agony"? XD Here's a hint, reread chapter 5.

God bless all of you who actually read till the end of the story. I love you! =D Hope you enjoyed it. I guess I'll see you in my future stories and fics. Bye, bye. ;)


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